10 



THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



In addressing the members of this Institution for the second 

 time, I cannot but regret that my first duty is to report the losses 

 by death sustained by us daring the past year. First that of our 

 late President, Sir John Maclean. The Eoyal Institution of 

 Cornwall has long enjoyed the benefit of Sir John Maclean's 

 researches, in the many and interesting papers he has contributed 

 to the Journal, as well as in the volumes of his works in our 

 library. These speak for themselves of an immense amount of 

 research and ability in compilation, though I fear that a History 

 of Cornwall on the lines of Sir John's History of the Hundred of 

 Trigg Minor would take up more time and demand more energy 

 than could be well afforded by most of those interested in the 

 County and its history. ■ Then in the death of Mr. H. Sewell 

 Stokes, Cornwall has lost a son by adoption if not by descent, 

 and the Institution a staunch supporter. His poems and other 

 works were greatly valued by Tennyson and Longfellow. Of his 

 public life, we, as a society, cannot speak, but we know he was 

 held in high esteem by every section of society in the county. 



The Chair which I occupy for the first time, as the Presiden- 

 tial chair of the Poyal Institution, has an interesting history. 

 When the old church of St. Mary's was taken down, (with the 

 exception of the south aisle, now embodied in the Cathedral, ) the 

 old fittings were sold, and Mr. J. 0. Daubuz purchased the carved 

 work of the Mayor's seat, and presented it to the Eoyal Institution. 

 It is rather interesting that in the picture hung at the end of this 

 room, the Mayor's seat is shown in one position in the church, 

 whilst in an old engraving of the interior of Truro church it is 

 shown in another. Its date, I should say, would be before 

 1681-85. If so, in the year 1895 I am occupying the same seat, 

 under different circumstances, that one of my ancestors occupied 

 when Mayor of Truro in those years. I have recently found an 

 an old drawing of my father's, showing an alteration for the 

 improvement of the old Mayoral chair at Truro. The parts of 

 the present chair which are ancient, are the top and two side 

 portions ; the rest is new. 



